THE WEST SHORE
home lait night Bhe
. t,;, i,i:t rfi, ti our
Ul .,, a-,iry K; "Mhen she
it ar ut on ma's Jr.-tn, an lo ma get
I .r k.tr.n illfitK'r."
MaM laugh! t th "'rriH,t fIPr,'H,,ioD ' the
,y, and though!, m thn old trai jr ordered the
child ! the room, and when she a w
red Mm Kugit-n's fw hal grown, that there was
.tD truth in the little- fellow's assertion, and that
them was a-. nothing connected with the story which
they would fain kc( secret Kho diimM the mat
ter from her mind, however, and soon ltr took Lor
rtr, promising t call again as on ai convenient.
The ly reprimanded for Lia lack of discretion,
and charged nerer to jxak of tho "i(uaw," as be
cI!I her, without jxrroiaaion. l)es bad Uin a lis
tener lo thn wh'dn conversation, and the could cot
uppres a smiln when tho Wy innocently related to
MUI thn event of h' r arrival, and aim almost laughed
outright when bn referred to her ai a " squaw." Bhe
j lined hrr Lout and hostess after tho visitor's depart
ure, and thn rnt of the day waa jMnt in talking over
thn events of thn t two jean. The girl laughed
and rhattrd merrily enough, though ber head ached
fearfully, and her room! faro waa flushed, presenting
all the apjearan(y d onn suffering from a high fever.
Neit morning aim waa unahle to leave her IhhI,
and old lady Kingston went to work administering
catnip tea and other l-everages, in thn hopo of induc
ing frc inspiration; tut alai! without avail. The
fever continued, growing worm and worm, till on tho
third day thn invalid Ucarue fearfully delirioua. Tho
eld traj j-r, Uo.mirg alarms), saddled a horso and
starUl to Yrrka, ntuc thirty miles diitant, for the
purj. of Ujir.it thn girl's rase fro a physician.
Hn wu searcly out of light ern 1I,.U lUndall ap.
rtrLl hi, rnidenon. Shn had brought h, r aewing
al-rg. with thn intention d K ndiig the day with
Mra Kagat.-n; ,,d thn Utter, as ta. ushered her
visitor into thn hu 1M uitj)y trji,,K t() jnv(iut
tj.o.Uj that would iu(!i;n as an npUution for
the. lid ru.rg, f h ,1, Uy t,,,irg 1
to.nlrg m..t p,tr,,u., hhnN,aithiikfLMthi,.,.
and MaUl saw that, f..r
Uly was l st r, ! (Ut
in-' rai:. or i.thrr. thn oh)
" Mrs. Kingston," exclaimed the visitor, rising to
her feet, her fair face almost livid in her excitement,
this house holds a secret. Will you not disclose it
to me? Perhaps I am asking too much of you, but
you can do no more than refuse to admit me into your
confidence.
" Set down, Belle, an' try to calm yourself. I'll
tell yon, though I promised to keep the secret; but
seem as you're here, an' the poor girl's most likely
to die" here the kind-hearted old lady brushed
away a tear that had crept down her fleshy face" I'll
tell yon, an' I hope and trust you'll keep the secret,
Belle, for her dear sake."
Then she related how Dessie Watson had come in
one night about a week previous, telling everything as
it had occurred, save how changed the poor girl had
become on hearing of her lover's betrothal. That was
something she thought important to keep from Ma
bel, knowing that she was soon to wed the man whom
the unfortunate girl loved so tenderly.
" I must see her, Mrs. Kingston," Mabel exclaimed,
joyfully, and the next moment she was in the sick
room, covering Dees' hot, flashed cheeks with kisses.
" Who are you?" the sick girl asked, gazing up
into the visitor's sweet, gentle face with a bewildered
smile. " Kiss me again, your lips are so soft and
cool. There, that's right; I love you very much, and
you must love me, too. Now tell George to come, and
Mortimer no, don't let him come, he must not know.
But I lovo him, and I love Mabel I love her because
she loves Mortimer."
"Mabel's blue eyes filled with tears, and she
turned away to hide her emotion. " Do you think
she is dangerously ill?" she asked, evidently much
alarmed.
"(lod only knows; I hope not The ole man's
tf mo to see a doctor. Poor little thing, she talks about
her brother purty near all the time. That puts me in
mind that to-day's mail day; an' I'll bet the ole man's
gne an" carried ( (T that letter Dessie wrote. I'll tell
you what you do, Halle, dear; jest set down an' write
a hue to (jw,rg0 yourself, tellin' him that his sister's
hero sick, and to come immediately. The poor thing
II.) m - it :. . inav htiii ,1..,. i i . i-
lf it on ft tnii i t x i , - v "-u.rwuuiBicEnesp, you Know, an' may die,
i-ruttf on i.t mind of whuh ,!, (,un i , . , fr L,wm. .. '
Ud t. reM.hrr-lf
too. ILkt I . ..... i
, , . rn.,., m., i
rkKw!,andMaM .ur-Ut - K ,
lyl-.dlerM. -Oh. n.slr, :..
U MgUL H" ip.!,g .,,,,,. v , ,
l-l . I II. I I f" .in
ML 1U Will ,,. .
wt uWiumkw'v.: ;; ;
il tho
'i! I' rf. ct-
: .itiT.T
:-'-t!v m
Accordingly, M(li)(i oon jjpj h br.ef liule note
to (i.H.rg, WhIhou; and the old lady Kingston thought
, hl u' vt r tho girl looking any prettier or
Hpn-rtliHu while thus engaged.
" Mr. Watson, dear sir," Mabel read aloud, having
i-Mth, misMve, "you are wanted at Oak Dale
""I'M.ly. Your Mater, whom you have long
K is alive, but very ill, at Mr. King
'tou a r..MJ,.uc& Come at once,"